


An Acquired Taste

by Carmarthen Juvenilia (Carmarthen)



Category: Song of the Lioness - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Alcohol, Gen, Humor, Juvenilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-27
Updated: 2010-11-27
Packaged: 2017-10-13 10:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/136245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmarthen/pseuds/Carmarthen%20Juvenilia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night before his wedding to Thayet, Buri decides to <s>torture</s> relax him with a K'miri beverage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Acquired Taste

**Author's Note:**

> Alexander the Drake from the long-ago Alanna list put this in my head. Qumis is a type of somewhat alcoholic fermented mare's milk drink consumed by the Mongols, among other nomadic groups. A bit of silliness with somewhat jumpy POV.

Jonathan of Conté, recently crowned King of Tortall, although only just barely, was awake the night before his wedding. Perhaps he thought of his bride-to-be, the lovely Saren Princess Thayet the Peerless, Duchess of Camau and Thanhyien, and so on. Perhaps he thought of the attempted coup at his coronation, or the price of grain in Carthak. Buri didn't particularly care.

She knocked on the doorframe. "Your Majesty?"

Jon looked up and smiled. "Buri," he said. "What is it?"

Buri slipped inside and sat across from Jon, "You've been looking tense lately," she said, plastering an unconvincing expression of concern across her face. "I thought you could relax a bit. You're getting married tomorrow, after all."

"That's very kind of you, Buri, but I've work to do," Jon said, shuffling a few stacks of papers around.

Buri leaned over and picked up a sheet of paper. "Finances," she said. "You're about to marry _Thayet_ , and you're doing _finances_." She swept the papers off the desk in one motion and dropped a skin of liquid in their place. "Jon, my friend, you need to get your priorities straight. Do you have a mug somewhere?"

Jon waved a hand in the direction of the sideboard with a slightly stunned expression. "Over there."

"Excellent." Buri leapt up, found two mugs, and returned. She set the mugs on the desk and poured the contents of the skin into them.

Jon peered at his mug suspiciously. "What is this?"

"Milk." Buri grinned.

"Milk." Jon sniffed gingerly at the cup and made a face. "It doesn't smell like milk. And it's bubbling. What kind of milk _is_ this?"

"Mare's milk."

" _Mare's_ milk?" Jon looked slightly greenish, Buri noticed with disapproval. She'd hoped he would at least drink it first.

"Just drink it," she said. "Look, I'll drink mine first." She tilted her head back and downed her mug. She hadn't had good qumis in months. It had been quite lucky, finding that trader in the market.

Jon still looked dubious, but he followed her example. His eyes widened. Then he started coughing violently. "Mithros, woman! Are you trying to kill me?" he gasped between coughs.

Buri leaned over the desk and thumped him between the shoulderblades, grinning wolfishly. "It's an acquired taste," she said.

"If it doesn't kill me first, you mean?"

Buri laughed. Jon would do for her princess, even if he couldn't hold his drink.


End file.
